BGN: Schools Are Not Required to Accept Free Nutritious Meal Program

January 26, 2026 | 11:31 am

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Nanik Sudaryati Deyang, Deputy Head of the Indonesian National Nutrition Agency (BGN), stated that the Indonesian government is not forcing any school to accept the free nutritious meal program (MBG). This statement was made following a report from the Head of the Nutrition Fulfillment Service Unit in Banyuwangi, East Java.

Nanik said that the School Supervisory Agency (SPPG) in the area complained that they were having difficulty increasing the number of MBG beneficiaries. The reason was that several elite schools with thousands of students in the area refused to accept MBG.

"The school still refused to accept it, even though they had asked for assistance from the Military District Commander (Danramil) and the Sector Police Chief," Nanik said during a Coordination and Evaluation event with the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda), the Head of the Executing Unit (Kasatpel), Foundations, Partners, Regional Coordinators, and all SPPG Heads throughout Banyuwangi Regency, East Java, on Saturday, January 24, 2026, as quoted from an official statement from the National Nutrition Agency.

Nanik stated that, in principle, the government wants to provide MBG to all Indonesian children. However, acceptance of MBG is voluntary, so there should be no coercion or intimidation from the SPPG or any other agency.

According to her, schools' refusals should not be interpreted as implying that they are unwilling to accept MBG because they don't want to contribute to the government program. Nanik stated that if elite schools are already able to meet their students' nutritional needs and then decide not to accept MBG, then that's not a problem.

"The heads of SPPGs shouldn't force them. If a school refuses to accept MBG, for example, because the students are children of wealthy families, that's fine," Nanik said.

As an alternative, Nanik suggested that SPPG heads travel throughout their coverage areas to seek out other beneficiaries in greater need. For example, small Islamic boarding schools, dropouts, school-age street children, pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers, and toddlers. "There are still many who haven't received MBG, even though they desperately need it," she said.

Read: Free Nutritious Meal Program Must Not Become a Tool of Child Intimidation, Says Minister

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